Review: Death in the Old Rectory by: Kathie Deviny

Title: Death in The Old Rectory
Author: Kathie Deviny
Publisher: Camel Press
Series: Grace Church Mystery #2
Pages: 168
Format: e-book ARC
Source: Camel Press

Description:

For many years Father Robert has called the old rectory at Seattle's Grace Church home. No longer. An enterprising volunteer has come up with a scheme to convert it into a thrift store. With great reluctance, the priest moves to a condo, realizing that the struggling Episcopal parish needs the revenue. As predicted, money is soon rolling in. 

That is, until disaster strikes: one of the employees, a charismatic young man named Nick, is killed execution-style. Though well loved, Nick had a criminal past. Did his past catch up with him, or was he simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? Detective Joyce Hitchcock and Officer Raymond Chen are on the case, and once again their efforts are bolstered by the colorful staff and members of Grace Church--Father Robert himself, his fiancee Molly, Deacon Mary, manager of the food bank Terry, Lester the formerly homeless sexton, Daniel the organist, Arils the church secretary, and senior volunteers Lucy and Mae. Other incidents follow--an explosion, vandalism. 

The already dwindling congregation is being scared away, and Grace Church may soon be history. Meanwhile Nick's friends and colleagues can't help but wonder: will the killer strike again? Book 2 in the Grace Church Mystery series, which began with Death in the Memorial Garden." 

My Thoughts: 

This is the second book in the Grace Church Mysteries, in this book Father Robert finds himself moving away from Grace Church as a volunteer, Adele Evans with too much energy comes up with an elaborate plan to utilize the rectory and turn it into a thrift store, Father Robert gets voted out of the rectory once the vestry hear of this plan.  Father Robert is also working on marrying Mrs. Molly Ferguson who was a widow and with whom Robert fell in love with and proposed too.  

One late afternoon as the thrift store is closing for the day Nick a volunteer at the thrift store finds himself face to face with a gunshot to the head, Mae another volunteer finds Nick and the mystery begins.  Dominic Francis Monte more commonly known around Grace Church as Nick had a colorful history working with some bad guys who were stealing from others and it looks like Nick was trying to get away, but apparently the past didn't die as peacefully.  Who killed Nick and why?  Was it connected to his shady past?  Or could it be someone in his present day dealings?  Who is blowing up things around Grace Church and why?  What else could possibly go wrong?  Also there seems to be a theft of some sort is it Nick stealing before his death or someone else?

For Detective Joyce Hitchcock it could help build her police career, that is if she can solve the case and not have it turn into a cold case.  Pressure is on to settle this case but Joyce finds she may need the help of the parishioners of Grace Church to solve the mystery.  Can she solve it before something else happens?

I love this series as you meet various parishioners and watch various relationships while learning history of the characters and their connection to Nick.  I also liked that this book switched gears it's not a one person story but multiple angles. It tells the story better than a one person point of view, you also get to read from the murderer's point of view as well which makes it all the more intriguing.  Such a great story and I was stumped on who the murderer was until the last page.  Can't wait to see what is next for Ms. Deviny